In honor of #SmallBusinessWeek, American Bank (formerly The American National Bank) will be introducing you to some of our local businesses this week. Today we are honored to feature Higher Grounds Coffee Shop in Beaver Dam. Take a few moments and watch the video below to learn more about Higher Grounds from the store's owner, @Cheryl Laatsch. At American Bank it's our pleasure to work with our locally owned, independent businesses.A huge thank you to the students from Moraine Park Technical College who put this video together for us!

Meet Becky Henne, a soon-to-be graduate of the Moraine Park medical assistant program. She currently lives in Waupun with her husband and together they have five children and three grandchildren! Her hobbies include camping, walking, being outdoors, and spending time with her family.

The Waupun Fire Department has graciously allowed Moraine Park students in the entry-level firefighter and certified firefighter classes to use their training facility to practice various skill evaluations. These are vital skills and techniques to keep the fire ground safe and it provides students with the opportunity to practice what they’ve learned in the classroom.

We wish the certified firefighter candidates good luck at their upcoming state practical exams, and we extend a big thank you to the Waupun Fire Department and numerous other individuals who volunteer their time to make this training possible and safe for the students.

Graduating students from Moraine Park Technical College’s Graphic Communications, Interactive Media Design, and Web Design programs will be showcasing their talents at the College’s Portfolio Showcase on Wednesday, May 16, at the Fond du Lac campus.

This annual event highlights the projects and work these graduating students have completed in their respective programs while at Moraine Park, and it allows them to share their projects with prospective employers, the local community and Moraine Park students and staff. Students from the Fond du Lac and West Bend campuses will have their work on display.

06Meet Kim Olson, one of the mechanical design instructors here at Moraine Park!
Mechanical design is a branch of mechanical engineering where the designers work collaboratively with engineers to develop products, machines, and tooling.

Moraine Park offers many exciting and innovative courses, one of those being the Mechanical Design Technology program.

What is Mechanical Design? It is a branch of mechanical engineering. Mechanical Designers typically work with Mechanical Engineers to develop products, machines, and tooling.

Their work includes detailing (engineering drawing creation), the creation of Computer Aided Designs (CAD) models and geometry, selection of purchase parts, and the selection of material used to manufacture parts.

Mechanical Designers are in high demand, approximately half of the current second-year students have been working in the field for more than six months. And, several manufacturing companies are in contact with Moraine Park instructors on a recurring basis to find the Mechanical Designers that they need to employ.